Crispin: The Cross of Lead Chapter 49 Summary

Chapter 49 Summary

Crispin sits silently in his hiding place for a long time. Eventually the widow taps on the wall. He returns to the room, where she gives him some soup and bread. He takes it and eats quickly, although he feels ashamed of himself for getting hungry when his friends are suffering so much for his sake.

The widow asks what Crispin did while he was hiding. He replies that he thought about Bear. She sighs sadly and says that she, too, has lost people—two husbands and seven children. She asks why God allows some people to live while others die. Crispin cannot answer, and she begins to cry again.

When the widow finally stops crying, Crispin asks hesitantly whether she can read. When she says she can, he asks her to...